Page 12 - Florida Sentinel 5-15-20

All About You
Local
NAACP Launches Campaign To Empower Communities
MOTHER’S DAY GREETINGS FOR
MS. WILLIE MAE GADSDEN
Happy Mother’s Day Willie Mae Gadsden. From your sons, Reggie and (daughter-in-law, Valerie), James and Tony, (And in memory of our sister, Renee).
DERRICK JOHNSON President and CEO of the NAACP
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The NAACP, the nation’s foremost social justice or- ganization, has launched a campaign entitled #WeAre- DoneDying. The campaign was designed to expose the inequities embedded into the American healthcare system and the country at large. From COVID-19 to running while Black in America, the abuse faced by people of color, particularly African Americans is devas- tating.
The campaign is a Call- to-Action and highlights the NAACP’s policy interests and supported legislation for African Americans and peo- ple of color, who are often left out of recovery effort conversations.
Derrick Johnson,
President and CEO of the NAACP said, “With crum- bling economic infrastruc- ture, our community members face tough choices as access to food, good jobs, and a quality education slips further away.
“These issues are com- pounded by the lack of strong leadership from the White House. In the absence of adequate guidance, Black lives are adversely affected.
LEON RUSSELL Chairman, NAACP Board of Directors
We will no longer stand idle as our people suffer discrim- ination, marginalization, and are offered as disposable for poor decisions by this Administration.”
Leon Russell, Chair- man, NAACP Board of Di- rectors said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the deep-seated racial disparity in America embedded in all aspects of life.
“The NAACP Empower- ment Programs’ 111 years of advocacy and fighting for the rights of Black people posi- tions us to lead the fight for our community’s interest during this time of uncer- tainty.”
Ms. Yvette Lewis,
president of the Hillsbor- ough County Branch of the NAACP said, “When COVID-19 struck, it was nondiscriminatory and af- fected all races, ages, and cultures. But it also opened
MS. YVETTE LEWIS President, Hillsborough County Branch NAACP
our eyes to the disparity that exists in the healthcare sys- tem and highlighted the level of poverty in the educa- tion system.
“It is my hope that this pandemic has opened the eyes of our elected offi- cials in Hillsborough County because they have a great deal of work to do in the healthcare, education, and economic justice in the African American communi-
ties.”
As the incidence of
COVID-19 cases and deaths rise, the Black community is experiencing the worst out- comes. With more con- firmed cases and deaths than any other country, African Americans are facing the brunt of this virus. The numbers continue to rise each day while states reopen non-essential businesses with little to no evidence that the country is ready.
PAGE 12-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020